


Charm

by S0phos



Series: Linked Julie And The Phantoms Fics [2]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst, Band, Family, Gen, Guilt, Headcanon, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I'm Sorry, Love, M/M, Mistake, Oops, Panic Attacks, argument, fight, get ready for Pain, practice, ruke - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:53:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27233788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/S0phos/pseuds/S0phos
Summary: Julie and the Phantoms are rehearsing when something triggers an argument that hits a little too close to home for Reggie. He gets out of there. But at what cost?
Relationships: Alex/Willie (Julie and The Phantoms), Luke Patterson/Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Linked Julie And The Phantoms Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1989556
Comments: 83
Kudos: 273





	1. Misdirection

**Author's Note:**

> NEW JATP FIC! This fic was originally going to be a 3 chapter Reggie centric fic. The first 3 chapters will definitely be Reggie focused but I will be adding more chapters because I made the mistake of writing a cliffhanger that even I can't bare to leave as is. Anyway, hope you enjoy chapter 1!!!  
> Also! There is lots of headcanon theorising in this fic. This is in the same universe as my other fic, Discovery https://archiveofourown.org/works/27214483/chapters/66477439 . And without spoilers, this was inspired by an interview with Cheyenne Jackson about is season 2 wishlist where he was saying he wants to explore the connections he might have with one or all of the boys. After all, why would he care this much about them otherwise?

Alex let the cymbal ring out as “Late Last Night” came to an end. It was one of Julie’s favourites from the demo and she had been begging the boys for the past week to give it a try.  
“That… That was awesome.” she stated as she collapsed down into the large armchair.  
“I didn’t think that song would stand the test of time…” Luke admitted.  
“Hey I always thought it was pretty good!” complained Reggie .  
“Yeah,” Alex chuckled, “‘Cause you wrote it.”

Julie shook her head as she took a swig from her water bottle covered in stickers from various bands, concerts and shows that she had been to throughout her life. Taking pole position was a newly applied sticker with the logo of Sunset Curve which she had one of the tech teachers cut for her at school. It was perfect. She had attended many of the concerts on her bottle with her mom and now she was able to have a band on there which her mom had loved as a young woman. To this day, the whole situation blew Julie’s mind but this was one of the many ways that she was still able to connect with her mother in some way… so it was worth the chaos.

After a few minutes of general conversation, Julie rose from her chair and towards the door.  
“I’ll be back in a sec I just gotta get some more water.”  
“You’re all good, we’ll be here!” Luke replied almost too cheerily.  
“Dude. I get that you’re trying to win Julie and all but can we maybe cool it when we rehearse?” Alex asked the moment that Julie was out of earshot.  
“What?”  
“You were all over her during that playthrough. I know she can feel us and stuff now but give her some space…”  
“Back off Alex. We were just feeling the music.”  
“No. You were ruining the vibe. Me and Reggie are in the room too, right Reg?”  
“Hm?” Reggie said as he shook himself out of a daydream. It was an automatic mechanism that had fallen into place after hearing the beginning of so many fights at his old home. He knew what the start of a fight sounded like and this was the last place he expected to hear it. These guys were best friends. They didn’t need to fight. And yet here they were. As all of these thoughts rushed through Reggie’s mind, the argument had grown significantly. Reggie couldn’t hear specific words. He just heard shouting.  
“Guys… guys can we please calm down?” Reggie began feebly. He was the peace keeper of the group. He needed to do his job.  
“Guys…” this time it was louder but clearly more disorientated. Reggie took a deep breath. He could do this. Couldn’t he? He felt the tears welling up in his eyes. Normally he could hold this type of thing back but it all felt far too familiar. He collapsed into a nearby chair and let his head fall into his hands as he tried to focus on his breathing and not let the situation overwhelm him. It was already overwhelming him.  
“Alex. Alex!” Luke cried to get him to stop shouting.  
“What!?”  
Luke nodded his head toward the chair where Reggie was hunched over, breathing heavily whilst gripping onto the rich red flannel around his waist. The boys had seen this a few times before and only one fight that the two of them had had with Bobby had ever triggered this within the garage. Normally this came from arguments at home. Both Alex and Luke quickly dropped the fight, along with what they were holding, and rushed to either side of Reggie. Alex tried to take one of his hands as a sign of comfort but Reggie recoiled quickly.  
“Reg… we’re so sorry.” Alex began but Luke quickly stopped him.  
“Reggie. Just breathe. It’s over. You’re safe. It was a pointless argument that we didn’t need to have. It didn’t mean anything. Just breath. In… and out…”  
Reggie took Luke’s advice and he understood that the boys didn’t mean any harm by what they did… but at the same time Reggie couldn’t shake this familiar feeling of being helpless. The feeling he always felt when his parents were at home at the same time… but also the feeling he felt when Caleb forced them to perform at the HGC… It was all too familiar and Reggie knew that there was something more to Caleb. None of the other boys knew of his life before but Reggie did. He had always been fascinated by Caleb Covington but he didn’t know why. Now he hated him… but at the same time was intrigued by him. There was something about him that drew Reggie in; something more than the natural, and unnatural, charm that Caleb had used to lull the boys into a false sense of security. A memory? Distant and vague but there was something there for sure… if only Reggie could put his finger on it.

“I… I need to get out of here.” Reggie stammered as he rose from the chair.  
“No Reg sit back down, chill out… c’mon man it’s all good.” Alex began to plead.  
“No.” Reggie said defiantly, “I… I have to go.”  
And with that Reggie left, and Alex and Luke were left feeling very very guilty.


	2. Behind The Curtain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie needed out of the garage. Where better to try and refocus himself than the beach.

Reggie didn’t exactly know where he was going to reappear. He just needed to be out of that garage and get some space to ground himself. When he saw the beach form around him he breathed a deep sigh of relief. The beach meant a lot to him. It was where he spent many of his days as a kid when he needed to get out of the house away from his parents. There were so many memories from this place. Most of them were good.

Reggie let his body slump down into the sand as he closed his eyes and tried to centre himself. The feeling of the soft sand melting around his body was comforting and the sound of the gentle waves crashing onto the shore brought him a peace that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He remembered running across the shore with his older siblings. He remembered sitting on a log a mere couple feet away with his first girlfriend. He remembered sitting on the same log with his bandmates after his parents had had a particularly rough fight. He remembered sitting on the beach and reading about Caleb Covington. What was it about this creepy guy that Reggie was so intrigued by? As far back as he could remember, Reggie knew about Caleb. He just didn’t know why.

“Reggie? Reggie? Reggie are you ok man?”  
Reggie opened his eyes and bolted upright, expecting to see Luke had followed him somehow and came to check on him. That was definitely not what he saw. Instead, he saw another familiar face. Long black hair pressed down by a skate helmet framed the warm but concerned smile that Willie had on his face.  
“Willie… I.. um… What are you doing here?”  
“Thought I’d come down here for a skate,” Willie explained as he reached a hand out to help Reggie to his feet, “ And uh, what about yourself? Alex told me that you guys were rehearsing tonight?”  
“Yeah… we were… but things got a little heated and I had to get out of there..” 

There was a moment of awkward silence.

“Wait? You’ve… you’ve been seeing Alex? Dude you have to be careful or Caleb might see you with him and realise that we never crossed over or died… again… or whatever!”  
“Reggie.” Willie placed a hand on Reggie’s shoulder. “Caleb knows full well that you three are still around.”  
“He… he what?”  
“For a time he thought you guys had crossed over after the orpheum but.. Well… he somehow has really close tabs on one of you… it’s like he can sense you.”  
Reggie felt knots begin to wrap themselves up in his stomach. Clearly Willie didn’t know anything but from that sentence alone, Reggie knew that it was him that Caleb had tabs on. And he was speechless.  
“Reg? You ok?”  
“It’s me… he has tabs on me..”  
“What? Reggie how do you know that?”  
“I don’t know… I just… do…”

Willie was lost for what to do at this point. He wanted to just skate away. Tell Reggie to go back to the garage and to stay put whilst Willie figured things out. But this was huge. Caleb had always mentioned how he _cared_ about these boys. Willie always thought that when he said this, he meant that he cared about getting them out of the way; with the way Reggie was acting now, perhaps Caleb did care about him. Perhaps he knew Reggie… And perhaps that was why Caleb wanted to keep track of them.

“I want to see Caleb.” Reggie stated. Willie was shocked. After all the trouble that had been Willie’s fault in the first place, he couldn’t just lead one of the boys into the Dragon’s Den to be ripped apart.  
“No. Absolutely not.”  
“Willie I have to. From the moment I first saw him at the ghost club I knew that he knew me or I knew him or something. I have to talk to him, I have to know more.”  
“Reg. He will tear you apart if you step foot in there. I can’t let you get hurt. Alex would hate me.”  
“You have no part in this! If things go bad, it was my choice to go there. I won’t blame you for anything that happens in there…”  
“You might not but I will. Reggie. I can’t let you do this.”  
“Ok.” Reggie began with a new found confidence and determination that neither Willie nor Reggie was expecting, “Either you come with me and you back me up or I go alone to talk to him. I know which one I would prefer but if you don’t want to get involved I get it.”

Reggie wanted so badly for Willie to be there because if he was being honest with himself, he was terrified. This man had almost wiped him and his two best friends off of the face of the earth and yet here Reggie was, determined to speak to him and work out what the hell was going on. Willie knew that he had to go with Reggie. He didn’t want to and he didn’t want Caleb to see Reggie face to face, knowing what else that man was capable of… but Reggie clearly wasn’t taking no for an answer.  
“Ok. Fine. I’ll take you to see Caleb.”  
“Yessss”  
“BUT. If anything starts looking weird or starts going south, I’m pulling you out of there.”  
“Ok… fine. Oh… and please don’t tell the guys about this. As far as they know, Caleb thinks we’re dealt with. For the first time since we poofed in as ghosts, they’ve been relaxed… well, more relaxed than when we were dealing with shocks that could remove us from existence.”  
“Deal.”

Willie hated everything about this. He knew that something was going to happen; something was going to go wrong but he couldn’t stop Reggie now that he had started on this plan. Caleb Covington was a man with many tricks up his sleeve and even Willie, as his magicians assistant, didn’t know how a lot of his tricks were done. He just knew that they were dangerous and could put an unsuspecting audience member in significant danger.


	3. The Final Trick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reggie is at the Hollywood Ghost Club... he doesn't know what he is going to say or do.. but he needs answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I normally try to keep my stuff within canon but add head canon but this as a slightly tweaked canonical fact in that we believe that Covington lived some time in the 1920s. In this fic he didn't. He lived later. And that's all I'll say without spoiling anything.

The Hollywood Ghost Club was stunning but scary. There was an unironic, haunted, feeling that made the hairs on the back of Reggie’s neck stand on end as they entered the main lounge. Reggie stopped. He took a breath.  
“You sure about this Reg?”  
“Yeah… Yeah I’m sure…” he confirmed as he continued walking into the club. 

A soothing jazz melody floated through the air and seemed to echo throughout the space so that it could be heard by the hundred or so tables that currently sat unoccupied but made up to perfection. Reggie felt that familiar feeling of being drawn in by the swaying atmosphere of the music. Reggie guessed that this was part of Caleb’s power… part of his appearance that made him so powerful. As they approached the balcony, the magician himself came into view. He sat at the grand piano on the left hand side of the stage with his eyes closed, swaying gently to his own musical creation. Reggie was surprised to see him looking a little more casual than normal. He was still donned in the same rich purples but he was in a simple button up shirt with the top buttons undone and a pair of black jeans. This normally extremely extravagant gentleman just looked like another normal guy. Willie led Reggie down the curving stairway directly towards Covington himself; it looked like they hadn’t yet been noticed.

Questions bounced around inside of Reggie’s brain. He didn’t know what he was going to say, what he was going to do, what questions he was going to ask. He needed time to think. Time that he discovered he didn’t have as Willie cleared his throat.

“Caleb. You have a visitor.”  
Caleb looked up from the piano, still playing, and smiled. He looked back down to the piano and with a flourish, wrapped up the melody with a beautiful ascending pattern.  
“Reggie? What a surprise.” he remarked as he rose from the piano, “Now William, had you gone to find Reginald for me?”  
“Uhm… no. I.. I found him on the beach. He told me he wanted to talk to you…”  
“Is that right?” Caleb queried. He cocked his head towards Reggie who was doing his best to hold himself together.  
“Yes. That’s true.” Reggie did not want to go straight to business. He needed to stall, “I didn’t know you played?”  
“Ahah, yes not exactly what I was well known for in my day but music was a hobby that my family held very dear.”  
This just raised more questions for Reggie. From what he knew of Caleb, very little was known about his family. His whole story was about being a lone wolf with no real connections. Of course this was just a performative facade but… it confused him.  
“Family?”  
“Yes. My mother loved jazz music. My father could very rarely pull her away from the piano. It was.. Wonderful.”  
A moment of silence fell across the room as all three ghosts reminisced about their past lives.  
“Anyway!” Caleb continued, “What can I do for you? I didn’t think I’d be hearing from you voluntarily anytime soon…”  
Reggie tried to swallow the lump in his throat but he was afraid. He should’ve never come here. But if he turned around and ran now then Caleb would know something was wrong. He would know that Reggie knew something. He had to finish what he had started.

“You wanted to use us because we can be seen by lifers. You wanted Alex specifically because you had leverage over him with Willie and you wanted Luke because he had caused you trouble and was the one trying to escape you. I just came along for the ride. I didn’t want to be in this situation and yet here I am. You never chose to scare me or intimidate me directly. I know who you are. And you never let one member of your audience feel left out because you wanted everyone clinging onto your every word when you performed. So why have you left me so untouched?”  
“Because I know that you’re smarter than you let on. Please, educate me. What do you know about me?”  
“You’re Caleb Convington, world renowned magician who died in 1985 when your knife trick backfired.”  
Caleb nodded with approval, “All true… But let’s think about this. You would’ve been what, 6, maybe 7 when I died. Why did you choose to learn about me?”  
“I didn’t choose.” Reggie explained, “My mom was a huge fan of your work. When you died she was distraught. She tried to hide it from me and the rest of the family but she was hurting…” Tears began to well up in Reggie’s eyes as he remembered that year of his life. It was the start of the arguments. The start of the shouting.  
“I wanted to know more about you so I could find out why my mom cared so much.”  
“Are you sure you were researching to find out more about your mom or were you more interested about yourself?”  
“Wh… what?”  
“C’mon Reggie baby, you’re a smart boy.” Caleb said patronisingly. He approached Reggie and placed a hand on his cheek. Willie watched with eagle eyes, ready to step in at a moment's notice.  
“I don’t know what you're talking about.” Reggie began.  
“Yes you do kiddo. Look at me. Look at me in the eyes. Whose eyes do you see.”  
Reggie looked closely. The eyes were a crystalline blue. They were memorable; they sparked a memory. Reggie was young… perhaps two or three and he was playing with his father along the sandy beach. He watched the blurry figure come towards him. It wasn’t a clear memory so he couldn’t make out details. Other than the crystalline blue eyes.  
“My.. my dad… but that makes no sense my dad is still alive he’s at home with mom. Wherever that may be…”  
Whilst Reggie was wrapped up in the confusion that was this memory, Caleb had led him to a table and sat down with him, pulling up a seat for Willie also.

“When I started magic, I started as a hobby… much like I did for music and much like I’m sure you did too. My girlfriend found it fascinating. The fact that one slip of the hand could change so much. A lot of things can change your life forever. For me… there were three things. Magic. My girlfriend that became my wife. And my kids. The lot of them meant the world to me… but so did my magic. As I began to gain popularity, a lot of focus fell to my family and that put them in a position that they hadn’t chosen to be in. If they wanted to take the limelight, that was a decision they would have to make for themselves. My wife and I got a divorce. We still loved each other very very much but I couldn’t put my family in a position that they wouldn’t want to be in. But I kept tabs on them. My ex-wife found a new husband. He was a nice man who took care of the children but it always hurt looking back and knowing that it should’ve been me. The 2 older kids, my daughter Rose and my oldest son Max… well they quickly forgot about me. And my youngest? I don’t think he ever remembered me. Until now that is…”

Caleb held out a hand across the table to Reggie who was staring across at him with his jaw dropped and tears streaming down his face. It all made so much sense. After Caleb died, his mom was broken. Far too broken to simply be a fan… This was his mom’s true love. The person who she really cared about. Caleb was his dad. Reggie baby, kiddo, Reginald: it all made sense and each nickname had distinct memories attached to them. Instinctively, Reggie grabbed his hand tightly.

Willie had been watching all of this at the table along with them. He knew Caleb and this story added up but Caleb had the curse placed on Reggie too… He clearly had a plan but Willie had no idea what it was. He just watched the two stare at each other. Reggie was stunned to silence and Caleb was nodding acknowledgingly.  
“Mom… mom lost us both… she..”  
“I know Reggie.. I know.” Caleb stroked Reggie’s hand gently.  
“You know I’m glad you came and found me for this Reggie,” he continued, “and I’ve been thinking about this for a while… If you joined me at the club, we could invite your mom here. Tell her that we’re ok. Tell her that we love her.”

And there it was. Willie was waiting for it and there it was. Caleb had promised him a similar thing. A chance to make things right with his own family and friends. After he made the deal, those family and friends were never mentioned again. Caleb was lying through his teeth. But he was a magician… and misdirection was what he was good at.

“Reggie no. Caleb might be your dad but I promise you as good as that deal sounds it’s not worth it.”  
“William I have treated you with nothing but respect. This is a decision that Reggie must make for himself.” Caleb raised his hands and jokingly showed his sleeves which were empty. “No tricks.”  
“Reggie please.. Please don’t. Your band needs you. Luke needs you.”  
“I know they do.. Wait why Luke?” Reggie was caught off guard by this statement.  
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you Reg. He cares about you. Please don’t do this to him. I can tell you from experience that it is not worth it.” Willie pleaded. He took Reggie’s other hand and he too held it tightly.

Reggie looked between the two men. One was desperate as tears began to form in his dark but caring eyes. The other had that strange expression of happiness but longing. The weeks that Reggie and the band had spent trying to run from Caleb and now all he wanted to do was collapse into his arms and be with his real father again. He knew that wasn’t a lie. Caleb was his dad. That was certain. But Willie wouldn’t lie and say that it wasn’t worth it… Reggie knew that Willie hated it with Caleb. He knew that he just wanted to be with Alex. It was the only thing that ever made Willie smile. 

“I want to stay with you.” Reggie stated.  
“NO!” Willie cried in anguish as a genuine but devilish smile crept over Caleb’s face.  
“However… I want to take the place of Willie. He doesn’t want to be here. I do. If you want to be a good father to me then you can let my friend go and be with the person he loves in peace.”  
Caleb wasn’t expecting this retaliation from Reggie. But it was a sacrifice he was willing to make to be with his son. William had been nothing but trouble anyway.  
“I think that’s reasonable. William it has been a pleasure having you on my staff. Enjoy your time with Alex. You deserve it.”

Caleb clicked his fingers and a flash of purple engulfed the three of them. Willie felt a weight lift off of his shoulders and Reggie felt it move to him… but that didn’t matter to Reggie. He was with his dad. Now that mattered.  
“Reggie no I can’t leave you here.”  
“Yes… yes you can Willie. I’ll be ok. Go be with Alex.”  
“The guys can’t live without you Reg.”  
“They’ll be ok. Just tell ‘em I love ‘em yeah?”  
Willie knew that this was the persuasion - the curse talking at this point. Reggie had been drawn in and wasn’t going to escape on his own. Willie had the willpower to go against Caleb’s orders and whilst Reggie was strong, he wasn’t strong enough to deal with this. Not without Luke and Alex.

Caleb pushed between the two and put a comforting arm around Reggie’s shoulders.  
“C’mon Reggie baby, let me show you around properly. See you around… Willie.”  
And with that Caleb and Reggie left without looking back. And Willie was left alone with information that he knew he would have to tell the other members of Sunset Curve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AJKDHKDKJFSJKFSDJK I HOPE YOU LIKED IT AND THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO KILL ME!!! When I first wrote the plan for this THAT was going to be where I ended it... but I couldn't do that to myself let alone all of y'all. There are more chapters coming but I'll.. I'll let this one sink in.


	4. Reveal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Willie has to go and tell the boys what has happened... and he dreads what they are going to say...

Being unable to stay in that awful place for any longer, Willie quickly apparated and shifted to the outside of Julie’s garage where he had spied on the boys so many times before. Tears were gushing down his face which disappeared into thin air the moment they fell from his skin. He tried to compose himself but there was no hope. Slowly he approached the large white door and gave it a small knock before phasing through into the studio space.

Both the boys were not expecting Willie to come trudging into their rehearsal. They were hoping it was going to be Reggie. They had told Julie about the fight and that Reggie needed a breather and would hopefully be back within the next half an hour… it was coming up to double that time.  
“Willie! What are you doing here? Wait, why are you crying, what's going on?” the smile that had originally been on Alex’s face quickly flashed to concern as he hurried over to Willie. He let most of his weight fall onto Alex as they stumbled towards the couch together.  
“I… I’m free. Caleb let me go…” Willie managed to stammer.  
“Dude that’s awesome!” Luke said smiling, “Why though? And why are you upset? Isn’t this a good thing?”  
“There was a price… wasn’t there?” Alex asked. Willie just nodded.  
“I didn’t want to leave. The price wasn’t worth it. I’m… I’m so sorry.” Willie broke down into tears again.  
“Hey hey hey… you don’t need to apologise.” Alex explained, “We all know that Caleb is a bad man… we’re gonna get through this together ok…”  
“Reggie took my place.”

The room went still.

“I’m sorry… what.” the tension and anger rising in Luke was palpable. Willie knew he had it coming and Alex knew that Luke was going to react like this but the two of them remained remarkably calm.  
“Luke I am so sorry I begged him not to take the offer. I begged him. I think Caleb might be his dad? His real dad? And that was enough for Reggie to think that it was a good idea. I told him not to but.. But…”  
“But you didn’t try hard enough. The second Reggie even looked like he was considering it you should’ve dragged him out of that hellhole. But no. You just begged and pleaded which did nothing. Did you even TRY?” Luke had been taking steps closer towards the couch with each statement. In a sudden outburst he grabbed the front of Willie’s tie dye shirt and pulled him in close. “Why did we ever trust you? You’ve been nothing but trouble since we met you and now you’ve had our best friend doomed to spend an eternity with the man that TRIED TO KILL US ALL. You are so stupid and I swear if I could…”  
“LUKE. Back off. Now.” Alex said, now standing and beginning to impose himself between the two boys. Willie was showing no resistance against Luke. He looked weak. He looked tired. He looked hopeless. Finally, Luke dropped Willie and let him sink back into the couch.  
“I can’t believe this.” Luke sighed, clearly exasperated, before disappearing from the room.

Alex didn’t say anything after Luke left. Instead, he collapsed down onto the sofa beside Willie and wrapped his arms around him.  
“I promise this isn’t your fault Willie. I promise.”  
“I led Reggie straight to him… Again. How is this not my fault.”  
“Because you, me AND Luke all know that if he had a feeling something was going on with Caleb, he would’ve gone no matter what. And… if he really wants to stay there.. If that’s what he really wants… Then we can’t stop him.”  
“It’s not what he wants. It’s what Caleb is telling him that he wants. He did the same thing to me. He lied and he convinced me that if I joined him I could make things right with people I had wronged when I was alive. So I joined him. After that, Caleb didn’t care about me or my past.” Willie fell closer into Alex and let the warmth embrace him. They stayed there for a while, just feeling safe in each other's company. They hadn’t had a moment like this together in a very long time. The last time it was just them was at the Orpheum when they hugged for the first time. After that, everything just clicked. The anxiety in both of them just seemed to float away when they were near each other. But Willie knew that this moment, as much as he loved it, couldn’t last forever.  
“You should probably go and check on Luke… He needs your support more than me right now.”  
“Ok… stay here, I’ll be back soon.”   
As Alex rose to go and find Luke, Willie let his head fall into his hands. He heard the gentle whir of the supernatural thing that allowed them to move freely as Alex disappeared to the place he assumed his bandmate would be.


	5. The Shock Factor

“And this, my dear Reginald, is your room…”  
“I get my own room!?” Reggie cried with glee as he ran into the room much like a child on Christmas morning. The room was large and where it had once been a variety of cool tones to match Willie’s “relaxed” vibe, it was now a variety of blacks and reds which were much better suited to Caleb’s son.  
“It’s all yours.” Caleb smiled, “There’s a closet in the back. Whilst I adore your casual attire, there are some things in there that are not only suited better for the club, but I think you’ll like them as well. I’ll let you get settled, guests arrive for the evening show in a few hours.” Caleb grabbed Reggie’s shoulder and planted a kiss on the top of his messy brown hair before gliding out of the room. Reggie looked around speechless.

He hurried over to the closet and opened it. Greeting him was around 50 different garments: silk, cotton, leather. Black, red, white: it all was so… him. Somewhere deep in his mind, Reggie knew that this was a trick. He knew that Caleb was showering him with gifts and promises to make him feel safe and welcomed but the forefront of his mind told him that it didn’t matter. He was with his father again and that was what mattered. Slowly, he brushed his hand across the racks of clothing before looking at himself in the mirror that framed the back wall of the walk-in closet. He saw himself. His chunky combat boots and his black ripped jeans and his plain white t-shirt and his heavy leather jacket and... his protection. His red flannel that hung loosely around his waist. He gripped the sleeves that hung in front and held the flannel in place and looked down at it with sad eyes. Whenever he was upset or hurting, this piece of cloth made him feel safe, especially when his parents fought. He was with his dad now. He didn’t need this safety blanket. It was immature. Calmly, he untied the knot and tossed the flannel to the side. He looked around, grinning, and began to decide how he was going to impress his mom at tonight’s show.

Alex had to hedge a bet as to where he would find Luke but he was lucky in that his first guess was right. This was about Reggie so the beach was where he found Luke. Sat on the log where the three of them had had many conversations about their future that was going to be out of this world. It was also the place that the three of them would sit to console each other after rough days. Today was a rough day; Luke sat on the log alone with tears spilling down his cheeks.  
“This seat taken?” Alex asked playfully. Luke just smiled gently and nodded for him to sit down. Alex did so and placed a comforting hand on his knee. There was a prolonged silence. It hung in the air and began to suffocate Alex but he knew that Luke didn’t need words right now.

“Do you think he really did choose Caleb over us?”

Alex didn’t know how to respond. His heart wanted to say no. No of course not. Caleb Covington tried to kill us. We know he has powers that can persuade others and this was probably just another one of those cases. Yet the voice in the back of Alex’s mind had a point too. His mom and his… other dad were always fighting. He always felt helpless at home. If Caleb had shown him love, care and given him some sort of power or control over situations - it wouldn’t have been out of place for Reggie to cling onto that… Ray had become a father to Reg and that was one-sided. Caleb giving love back, well that was bound to intrigue him. All these thoughts in Alex’s mind had stopped him from saying anything and the silence was an answer in itself for Luke.

“I wish I could tell him what he means to me… to us.” Luke sniffled.  
“And you’re going to get that chance,” said Alex with a sudden determination, “When I thought I was going to lose Willie I was broken. You knew that… I’m not gonna let the same thing happen to you Luke.”  
“What’s Willie got to do with anything? This is a totally different situation…”  
“You knew the moment I spoke with Willie at the ghost club that I was into him, you really think that I’m not gonna see it between you and Reggie?”  
“Wha.. what... I… no.. it’s.” Luke clearly had been caught off guard by this remark but Alex just smiled.  
“Luke, the last time I saw you this giddy over someone was the day you asked me on a date. You care about him. And I’m telling you right now that he feels the same about you.”  
“You don’t know…”  
Alex quickly interrupted the denial Luke was about to try and use, “Really? Day of the concert at the garage. Edge Of Great. _Girls, am I right?_ ”  
Luke let out an audible laugh. He had felt the change in atmosphere that day too.  
“If you really thought that was the case then why did you tell me to back off with Julie?”  
“You were too focused on the increasingly forced chemistry with her, you forgot about Reggie. I didn’t know why but he was already looking pretty down in the dumps, even before the argument… Sorry about that by the way. If I had kept my mouth shut then Reggie wouldn’t have left.”  
“It’s not your fault Alex…”  
“I know.”


	6. Gifts

Reggie looked at himself in the mirror: smart dress shoes, long black trousers, white button up shirt, black bowtie and a dark red blazer. He pushed his messy hair back in an attempt to make it slightly more presentable as he looked at the new and improved version of himself. His mom was going to be so proud of him

Confidently, he opened up the door of his room and stepped out into the club. Even in these back corridors, the stylish jazz could be heard drifting through the air which made Reggie feel… safe? His hairs were standing on the back of his neck but he was sure that he was just nervous about seeing his mom. It had been 25 years for her but it felt like even longer to him.  
As he proceeded further towards the main lounge the music got louder and the lights got brighter. The Hollywood Ghost Club was a sight to see when it was full of both lifers and ghosts interacting at the neatly arranged circular tables. Reggie glanced around. No sight of his mom. No sight of his dad. Feeling nervous and slightly afraid of what was ahead of him, Reggie moved towards the stage. Nothing calmed his nerves like a jam out session on the bass.

He attracted a lot of attention with his playing. The band were very welcoming and followed his lead with precision and style. They gathered quite the audience and to Reggie’s surprise, Caleb was part of it. He watched Reggie intently with a proud smile plastered onto his face. Was it pride? Or was it something else… Reggie forced the contradicting thought to the back of his mind. That didn’t matter. He was with his dad now. With ease, he brought the bass line to a close and took a deep bow. He could soak in the applause. Loved, free, alive: he had forgotten about the electricity that wavered in the air after a performance. The electricity that he longed for everytime he disappeared after a show.

Quickly he hopped down from the stage and rushed over to his dad who was still clapping as he approached.  
“Nicely done… nicely done.” He said with a grin.  
“Awh.. thanks! I… I’m a little nervous so I thought I’d let out some steam.”  
“No need to be nervous kiddo, just enjoy tonight. The night is your oyster…”  
“So… dad,” Reggie muttered, “Did mom get an invite? Is she coming tonight?”  
“I’m sorry what?”  
“Earlier today… you said you were gonna invite her to the club. We could see her.”  
Caleb sighed. He knew that Reggie was going to ask this of him eventually he just didn’t think that it was going to happen this quickly. His hold on him had been strong so far but he knew that these next words were certainly going to weaken it. He took his hand and led him to a slightly quieter corner of the club.  
“I’ve been thinking kiddo… and… I just don’t think it’s a good idea to see your mom.”  
“What!? No we have..”  
“I know I know.. But Reginald, bringing her here brings so much risk to what we have. And it’s not a risk I’m willing to take. I miss her too but some things are better left in the past.  
“No. You told me that I would get to see my mom again. I want to see her.”  
“I’m sorry Reg but I can’t do that…”  
“Why did you ask me to stay then? That was our plan…”  
“Reginald. You are strong. You are powerful. You’re my son. Together we can do incredible things.”  
“No… No I have to go.. I have to.. I have to go…”

Reggie closed his eyes tight. He imagined the garage. The soft couch and the lush greenery. The large white doors and the cold concrete floor. His instruments and his best friends. He willed himself to go there. He willed himself to disappear and reappear with Luke and Alex so that he could hug them tightly and apologise. He thought of Luke. He would’ve never wanted this for Reggie and would’ve done anything to stop him from coming to the club in the first place. He had to go and apologise. He had to but he couldn’t.

He physically couldn’t.

A large barricade in his mind was built up tall and strong and Reggie couldn’t avoid it. It was stopping him; he couldn’t leave the Hollywood Ghost Club. It was turmoil in his head. Part of him screamed to run and to get as far away from Caleb as possible but the other part of him told him that he was with his dad now and that nothing else mattered.

“I’m sorry for having to deal with it this way Reggie Baby but I’m sure you’ll learn to love it…” Caleb whispered into his ear before planting a kiss on the top of his head and striding away into the crowd. Reggie instinctively reached for his waist. He reached for his flannel which was no longer there. He felt the knots begin to tie together and the hot tears begin to slip down his slowly reddening cheeks. He needed his flannel. He needed his flannel. He started to sprint towards the back of the club where his room was. He reached for the doorknob. He tried to open it. It was locked. He didn’t need doors. He could just walk through. But no he couldn’t. That was blocked too. Reggie was trapped. Trapped. Alone. Lost. Suffocating. He slammed against the door but it was to no avail. Instead, he simply slid his back down the matte black wood and curled up into a tight ball where he would stay. Sobbing.


	7. Panic

Willie didn’t want to go back to the club but he had no other choice. He knew the place like the back of his hand and Reggie, whether he wanted it or not, would not be able to get out on his own. As soon as he got inside, he began clinging to the shadows as to not be seen by people who knew him well. Everyone here knew him well. Now… where was he going to find Reg?

There were a couple options… He had the main club area, the rooms in the “backstage area”, the kitchen and the balcony. First thought was the kitchen; Willie remembered the boys scoffing down the plates that were placed in front of them when he first brought them to the club. He slid around the edges of the club lounge and towards the back doors which led to the hot bustling kitchen which he effortlessly phased through. As always, there was a lot going on back here. Ghosts from all backgrounds and time eras worked together as a well oiled machine to provide the range of delicacies from around the world that Caleb promised his guests with their invites. There were a lot of people in here but Reggie wasn’t in there. He couldn’t be seen anywhere in the main lounge so Willie made the assumption that he was behind the scenes somewhere, living the luxurious life.

He was half right. Reggie was backstage. But he wasn’t living a luxurious life. Far from it. As Willie walked down the long corridor that lined behind the stage he saw a sight that made his heart ache. He raced over and collapsed onto the floor beside Reggie and wrapped his arms around him. Reggie clung onto him and began sobbing louder.  
“We’re gonna work it out. I promise. I promise. I promise.”  
“Are they ok? Alex, Luke, are they ok?” whimpered Reggie. They were the only people he could think about at the moment.  
“They just want you back… and we’re gonna get you back and out of here. Has he leashed you? Taken away some of your ghost abilities I mean.” asked Willie.  
“Y. .. Yes… I couldn’t leave. He wouldn’t let me leave.”  
Willie tried to separate himself from the hug so that he could look Reggie in the eyes but he refused to let go.  
“C’mon, let’s go somewhere private…”  
Begrudgingly, Reggie let Willie out of his arms, expecting him to turn and walk back down the hallway. Instead he reached over Reggie with a set of lock picks and (with a little bit of struggle) opened the door to Reggie’s room.  
“This used to be my room too y’know…”

Immediately, Reggie scrambled into the room, practically crawling across the floor. He was breathing heavily, relieved but still panicking. He needed to find something. And he needed to find it fast. He threw various garments across the floor as he searched in the closet for his flannel. He felt his heart rate increase as he moved towards the end of the closet and there was still no shirt in sight.   
“No! It was here. I left it here. Where’s it gone? Where is it? _Where is it? Where is it!? WHERE IS IT!?_ “  
“Reggie what are you looking for? It’s ok… we’ll work everything out…” Willie reassured. He reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder but Reggie recoiled extremely quickly and shifted his curled up form into a corner, clinging to his knees.  
“My flannel I need my flannel… I NEED it!!!” Reggie screamed.  
Willie sat down in front of him. He didn’t get close or touch him. He just… sat there.  
“We’re going to find it and we’re going to get you out of here Reggie. Tell me… what are 5 things in here you can see?”  
“What?”  
“Just tell me…”  
“Ummm.. a… a mirror, clothing… umm… you, some shoes and... and clothes rails.”  
“Good. Now what are 4 things you can feel?” Willie asked again as Reggie keeled over, holding his head in his hands.  
“The floor… the wall… my shirt and… my hair.”  
“You’re doing great Reg. Now what can you hear? Give me 3 things.”  
“Ok… Your voice, the jazz music, and… oh I don’t know…”  
“That’s ok. Take your time. One more thing.”  
“... my breathing.”  
“Nice one. Next, what are two things you can smell?”  
“The aftershave that Caleb gave me… and the food that is being served tonight.”  
Willie could see that what he was doing was working, “You’re almost there, what’s one thing you can taste?”  
“The aftertaste of the burger I had earlier.” Reggie chuckled. He was still stressed and nervous but he was calmer than he was a few moments ago. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel; it was dim but it was there and Willie was going to help him get to it.  
“You’ve done amazing Reggie,” Willie whispered, “Now how are you feeling?”  
“Pretty nervous if I’m honest… I just want to go home.”  
“I want to get you home too. And we’re going to do just that, ok?”

Willie had some kind of plan beginning to form in his head but it was clear that Reggie needed some time. So, quietly and slowly, Willie shifted himself up against the wall and next to Reggie where they just sat silently for a while and pretended that nothing was happening.


	8. Family Ties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Luke are lost for what to do but Julie won't stand for it.

Alex and Luke reappeared in the garage and glanced around at the cold, empty space. Alex knew that it wasn’t meant to be empty…  
“Where’s Willie gone?” He asked, now suddenly very concerned.  
“You left him here?”  
“Yeah I told him to wait…”  
“He’s probably just headed out for a skate or something,” Luke reassured, “We were at the beach for a while…”  
“That’s true I guess.” Alex sighed as he fell down onto the couch. Luke quickly followed suit and the two of them just sat for a while, twiddling their thumbs.

They didn’t know what to do anymore. Their best friend was gone and they wanted him back so badly but they didn’t know what they could do.

Alex remembered Reggie slumped down on the sandy beach on one of the first days they became ghosts. He remembered the pouty face and the heavy shoulders that came with Reggie not having a puppy in his arms (or a hamster for that matter). He remembered that one simple phrase got him back up on his feet and jamming out even though no one could see them. _C'mon Reginald._ That was the Reggie that they knew and loved. The one who wanted to make others happy and the one who saw them as family. That was the same Reggie who wanted a father figure in his life… but he put his bandmates first. Always.

Luke remembered the flying solo rehearsal. It was just him and Reggie. They enjoyed each other’s company a lot and could’ve spent the whole day alone together just rocking out. Then Julie entered the space because they were out there alone. But they weren’t out there alone because, as Reggie said, _“‘cause we always have each other.”_ He regretted never outright telling Reggie how he feeled. They both knew that they cared about each other but neither of them ever admitted to anything more; they could both feel more brewing. Luke couldn’t imagine a life without Reggie but at this point he didn’t know how to get him back. 

“Earth to Sunset Curve???? HEY GUYS!” Julie screamed which finally stirred Alex and Luke from their memories.  
“Oh hey Jules…” Luke muttered.  
“Ok what is going on? Reggie’s still not back yet? You two look like you’ve seen a… nope not gonna finish that sentence. Where is he?”  
“Caleb's club.” Alex admitted.  
Julie froze. He had never met Caleb but she knew what he had tried to do to the boys. She knew how powerful he was and she knew how much damage he could do.  
“What? Why? How? When? No, more importantly why are you guys _not freaking out???_ “  
“Julie, he went there himself…” Luke began, “Turns out Caleb is his dad. Reg has never had a good father figure in his life so when he found out about it he jumped at the opportunity. He chose to stay there…”  
“And you didn’t do anything to stop him!?”  
“We did know where he was going. Apparently he just went to the beach to calm down when he saw Willie. Willie took him to see Caleb and he made the final decision there…” Alex said sadly.  
“So this is Willie’s fault?”  
Both the boys perked up at this remark.  
“No no no no no… Willie thinks it’s his own fault too but we know Reg. This was either completely his decision or his decision reinforced by Caleb’s power.” Alex explained  
“We hope it’s the latter…” Luke added.  
“So? What are we going to do?” Julie asked. Both the boys looked puzzled. “I’m not gonna let you two sit here weeping when Reggie is out there away from you guys and quite possibly in danger, ok? You are his family. We are his family. And family doesn’t leave anyone behind. When I thought I was gonna lose you guys to the shock, I was ready to give up everything we had if it meant that you would be ok. I couldn’t bear the thought of you just… not existing anymore. Based on how much he means to you guys and how much you mean to him, I don’t think that someone like Reggie would’ve made this decision alone without talking to you guys. There is something going on here and we need to figure it out and fix it before Caleb has too much of a hold on Reg.” 

The boys knew when Julie was determined but this was something more. There was a new fire burning in her eyes that was stronger than before. Power, strength, confidence: the fight in Julie had just soared and the energy radiating off of her instilled Luke and Alex with a similar confidence. They glanced at each other with a look that said it all - _we need him back._

“So how do we do this?” Alex asked, now standing and ready to help.  
“Well, I guess we’ll find him at the club right?” Julie asked.  
“Yeah sure but how do we get in and what do we do once we’re in. It’s a big place and you’re not gonna see a teen and 3 ghosts rocking around in hoodies and denim.”  
“Then we fix ourselves up and we hide in plain sight.” Julie grinned. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into but getting Reggie back was all that mattered to her and the rest of her band. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! We're coming to the end of this fic which I've had a blast writing over the past week. Both chapters 9 and 10 should hopefully be released over the next 24 hours and then I might go quiet for a while because I have some irl stuff to do but don't worry, I'll be back! Thank you for sticking around so far and I hope you're excited for the final confrontations...


	9. The Show

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hollywood Ghost Club is in business but Julie and the Phantoms have business of their own.

Normally, Julie’s choice of outfit for a night out would be colourful, bright and covered in glitter but hiding in plain sight at the Hollywood Ghost Club meant that Julie had to go with something a little more simple. That didn’t mean that she didn’t look incredible. Instead of the purples and pinks she would usually lean towards, Julie was dressed in a short dress that was the colour of a field of blooming poppies. On her feet were a pair of chunky black heels and hair hair was pulled up into a bun to give her even more height. The two boys held her arm on either side and both looked much more formal than normal also. Luke was in all black, right down to the bow tie that wasn’t actually tied but instead hung loosely around his neck. Alex was in a similar outfit to what Caleb had “gifted” them when he tried to get them to stay at the Ghost Club but this time it was in a rich green colour with a light pink dahlia in his chest pocket.

The three of them glanced around the room. It was busy which they hoped would be an advantage to them. Luke and Alex were familiar with this place but it shocked Julie to see so many ghosts and humans interacting freely with each other. The boys had told her about it but she really hadn’t known the extent of it until now.  
“Are we really going with plan A?” Alex asked nervously.  
“What else are we meant to do bro?” Luke replied.  
“I dunno, Plan B first maybe?”  
“No,” Julie stated, “We know where our strengths lie and this is it. If Reggie is here, then he’ll hear us and maybe… no not maybe. We _will_ get him out of here.”  
The group glanced at each other. They were nervous but they were determined to get their friend back and they were willing to do whatever it took. Julie gave the boys a nod before striding into the space, the boys following quickly behind.

Reggie and Willie were still hugging. They hadn’t moved for the past ten minutes. Tears were still occasionally falling from Reggie’s face but they were few and far between and his breathing had come to a regular pace at this point.  
“What are we going to do Willie?” Reggie said as he began to sit up from the curled position on the dark leather couch.  
“Well… we need to find your flannel and I’m gonna assume that Caleb, being the wonderful person that he is, has gotten a hold of it somehow. So that’s step 1. Step 2 is to get that curse of you in whatever way possible. I’m not sure how but we’re gonna find a way.”  
“What if we don’t?”  
Willie turned and took Reggie by the shoulders, looking him in the eyes, “We will.”

Willie rose from the sofa and began to pace from one side of the room to the other as piano music continued to drift into the room from the stage that was not too far away from them at this point. All the movement from Willie was starting to make Reggie nervous yet again so he closed his eyes and tried to block it out, now just focusing on the music rather than anything else. It was muted back here so he couldn’t make out any particular lyrics… but Caleb wasn’t meant to be singing this early in the night… and his voice definitely wasn’t that high.  
“Willie stop.”  
“What?”  
“Just… shhhh…”  
Reggie listened intently. It was a simple piano line, jumping from chord to chord. A minor, C, G, D… he recognised that progression. And then the drums and the guitar kicked in… but it was missing a bass.  
 _My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo_  
“Oh oh oh!” Reggie sang, shocked. He quickly rose from the sofa, practically vaulting over the coffee table and made a sprint for the stage. Willie quickly followed, shocked and kind of scared.

Reggie reached the side of the stage and low and behold, there they were. He saw his bandmates, his best friends, and his love, jamming out on stage confidently like they always did. He smiled. He had missed them so much. He wanted to get out there and tackle Luke in a hug but he was frozen in place, just watching in awe. He remembered all the times they had been together on stage. Those were the moments when he remembered how much he cared about his bandmates and how much he loved Luke. Willie caught up with Reggie and saw the group on stage; he went quiet. He was so happy to see them but them being here put them in so much danger. He knew that everyone knew that and he knew that he would’ve been able to stop them from coming but he wished that there had been a better way to deal with this. Both Reggie and Willie watched the incredible performance but as the instrumental kicked in, Luke disappeared…

There was a moment of panic before a pair of strong, warm arms wrapped themselves around Reggie’s waist. He knew who they were immediately as he grabbed them and smiled  
“What are you doing here!?” Reggie chuckled as he pushed away from the hug and turned to face Luke.  
“We’re getting you back dummy,” Luke exclaimed, “You’re bass line starts in 8 counts, you coming or not?”  
Reggie glanced around. He saw Willie smiling but there was fear in his eyes and Reggie knew why. Out on stage, Alex and Julie were both encouraging him to join them. And in front of him, Luke held out a welcoming hand which Reggie took before being dragged on stage. 

He grabbed his bass which sat on a small stand to the side of the stage and let the music take over him once more. He felt safe again and forgot about all the troubles that faced him at this club. He felt a warmth pass over him. At first, he thought it was just the excitement of being back with his real family but as he looked around, he realised that the whole band was feeling it. A familiar gold glow emanated from the four of them, especially Julie and Reggie. The glow was familiar to them; it was the same as the glow from the garage when their stamps disappeared. Reggie felt the weight he had been bearing for so long disappear. It was cheesy to think about but this band quite literally needed each other and could get through anything together. Eventually, the song came to an end and the four of them bowed together, taking in the applause (which was one of the good things that the ghost club had given them the opportunity to do a couple times). The last person to finish clapping couldn’t be seen at first because as always, he liked to make a dramatic entrance.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Reginald reunited with his little phantom band.” Caleb sneered. He was wearing an extravagant purple suit which was familiar to the boys but there was one strange addition: a red and black flannel secured tightly around his waist. Luke immediately grabbed Reggie’s hand tightly as he watched him tense up in the corner of his eye.  
“It is indeed, thanks for letting us play tonight but I think it’s time we made our leave.” Alex suggested, having also seen Reggie go stiff.  
“Now… not so fast, the night has just begun… And besides, I promised Reggie here a whole set later tonight, don’t you want to stick around?” he asked Reggie, staring daggers into his soul. Reggie could feel it but it was weaker now. A twisted voice in his mind whispered for him to stay and be with his father. Be with someone who could show him love and teach him how to be a real man so he didn’t hurt anyone the way his parents had hurt him. But that voice was overwhelmed by the thousands of other voices that reaffirmed the truths. That Luke, Alex and Julie were his family. That he didn’t need Caleb. That Julie and the Phantoms was where he belonged.  
“No.”  
“No?” Caleb replied. He was utterly shocked, “I promised you so much and _this_ is how you repay me? We were going to do great things together, Reggie. Father and son, ruling the after life as a family” As he said this he readjusted the flannel around his waist. Reggie knew that he was just trying to make him panic but he wasn’t going to let that happen.  
“A father, Caleb, is someone who brought you into this world. You did that. But you have never been a part of my family. You left before I ever knew you and let me suffer with my mom and dad who never stopped arguing. I loved them but I didn’t love what they did to me. So these people became my family. My real family.,” Reggie explained, gesturing to the band standing by his side, “Family don’t lie to each other. They don’t manipulate each other and they certainly don’t use each other. You are not a part of my family Caleb Covington and you never will be.”

Reggie remained confident on the outside but on the inside he was in turmoil. But he had to center himself because he had the power now. He was going to end this. He thought about every time he had summoned his bass guitar. And this time he replaced it with his flannel. He thought about the soft cotton and the rich red colour. He thought about all the times that the flannel had been his saviour and had made him feel safe. He felt it in his hands. He opened his eyes and there it was. He had his flannel back. He breathed a deep sigh of relief as he held it close to his heart. He glanced over towards Caleb. He looked angry.

“You think you’re so smart don’t you. I have the power here. This is my domain. And if you think you’re leaving here with your souls you better think again…” Caleb snapped.  
“NO!” Willie screamed as he emerged from the side of the stage, “I won’t let you hurt them!”  
“WILLIE!” Alex yelled.  
“Protecting your boyfriend, are you William? How cute… You know we could’ve had it all together but you gave that up and now you’re going to pay too.”

Reggie didn’t turn away from Caleb but began to murmur to the group, “We have to get out of here…”  
“I’m not leaving Willie…” Alex replied.  
“Willie has a way out Alex. I promise.” Reggie reassured.  
Luke turned to them, “C’mon, let’s get out of here…”  
The band all took each other’s hands and began to run toward the exit, leaving Willie and Caleb to face each other.


	10. Post Show Debrief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Reggie returned safely, the group spend some time, reminding each other why they're a family.

“What is wrong with you!? If you felt like this we could’ve talked about it. We could’ve helped you and we could’ve gone through this as a family. We care about you Reg but if you just run off and do things without telling us then we can’t help you!! I can’t believe…”  
Luke quickly interrupted Alex who had been lecturing Reggie for the past ten minutes, “Ok Alex, he gets it… let’s chill out yeah?”  
Reggie was sitting on the couch, gripping his flannel tightly. He was looking down, just listening to his friend and trying to just let him talk. He was able to remain calm but part of him just wanted to shout. Everything Reggie had done, he had done for a reason. He knew they were upset but Reggie was just as upset… mainly at himself.  
“You ok Reggie?” Julie asked, sitting down and wrapping her arm around him.  
“No? Caleb was my dad. I knew that. I knew it but at the same time it felt so wrong. I’ve always wanted a real dad in my life. Someone who would care for me and teach me how to be a good person. The guy I thought was my dad never did that for me and… well, as much as I love Ray, it’s a bit one sided… I just wanted to feel safe and Caleb was offering that. How could I not accept… but part of me knew from the beginning that he was going to use me. But I had to say yes. And… and when I did say yes, he cursed me and… and well… that was it. He had me… I thought he was going to be there for me but he wanted to use me.”

Everyone sat in silence for a moment.They were all crying. They all had gone through so much that night. Slowly, anyone who wasn’t sitting on the couch found their way over and allowed a cuddle pile to form. The last time Reggie felt this safe was the hug that saved their lives.  
“I… I love you guys so much” Reggie whimpered.  
“I love you too.”  
“I love you too.”  
“I love you too.”

“It’s late… I think I should head in for the night… Stay safe guys, have a good night.”  
“Night Jules!”  
“G’night Julie.”  
“Night Julie…”  
As Julie left the boys all glanced at each other. Luke took Reggies hand in his.  
“Hey Reg, can I talk to you quickly?”  
“Oh… uhm… yeah sure..” he said as he rose from the couch with Luke and headed for the door. Alex just smiled quietly as they phased through the wall. He sat in silence for a moment, thinking about everything going on.  
“You ok?” said a familiar voice. Alex looked up and squealed at the sight of Willie. He jumped up and threw his arms around him, practically suffocating the poor guy.  
“Hey hey hey… I’m ok. I’m ok.”  
“You are such an idiot. Why did you sacrifice yourself for us… I would’ve never forgiven myself if you got hurt in there.”  
“I know Caleb. I know his tricks. I knew I was gonna be ok. It was you that was the idiot for going in blind!”  
“Hey that was Julie’s idea, not mine!” Alex chuckled, still hugging Willie, “Thank you… by the way. Reggie would’ve gone there and we would’ve never known if you hadn’t been there. We owe you big time…”  
“I think I have one way you can pay me back…” Willie replied, now breaking away from the hug and smiling a little. Alex looked visibly confused but that quickly melted away as Willie leant in and let their lips interlock.

Outside, Reggie and Luke were looking up into the night sky. Each star twinkled brightly, creating another point of hope for someone out there but Reggie and Luke didn’t need to rely on stars for hope. Because they always had each other.  
“Sooo….”  
“Sooooooo…”  
“I want to apologise Luke… I should’ve spoken to you guys before running off. I feel terrible…”  
“You don’t need to apologise. If anything I need to apologise. I was ignorant of how you were feeling. I was putting things off because I didn’t want to face them and just talk to you. I was too wrapped up in my own feelings and problems that I didn’t see yours. And I’m sorry for that.”

“You know,” Luke continued, “We went to the Hollywood Ghost Club a number of times and I never got a dance with you…”  
“You’re right…” Reggie chuckled.  
“How would you like to fix that right now?” Luke asked. He did an overdramatic bow and held out his hand.  
“I would be honoured Mr Patterson.” Reggie stated cheekily as he took the hand. Luke rose and took Reggie’s other hand and let Reggie fall into his chest. And there, in the middle of the courtyard, under the shining stars, Reggie and Luke swayed gently with the trees that were dancing too due to the wind. The stars and the moon shone down on them as they held each other and danced long into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! I really hope you enjoyed this. This fic is by far the longest I've ever written and it's been a joy to write. Seeing other people enjoy it and live for their headcanons coming to life has really inspired me so thank you for the comments, kudos and bookmarks! Please share with your other JATP loving friends because I'd love to see this fic make even more people happy. Thanks for reading and here's to more fics in the future! <3


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